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werewolvesnotswearwolves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: Blood, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
jinkiesjess's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was pretty enjoyable for me. I was in the mood for horror, but also wanted something with a good summer vibe, so I picked this. This book is pretty light on horror and focuses more on being a murder mystery. But it is not without supernatural elements. It's nothing groundbreaking, but I do think it's a fun read and worth giving a shot.
In a bit more detail:
I don't read many mysteries, so I'm not sure how predictable this story may be for someone well-versed in the genre. My usual approach is to just enjoy the ride and not try too hard to "beat" the book. But even I sorta guessed who the killer is. Not so much because of evidence but because that seemed like the sort of twist/reveal a story like this would do. Some of the tension is also killed because the main character is the narrator, reflecting on his youth. So when he's in danger, you know that he's going to make it out ok.
At first I didn't find the narrator/main character likeable. But he actually grew on me. It's funny because the story is told by the main character as an older man. And yet his narration seems to undergo the same character development as his younger self does within the story. In the beginning, I was rolling my eyes as the narrator talked about his ex, saying "I was too good for her" and then whining "why wasn't I good enough for her?". But by the end of the book, the narrator's voice seemed to have matured just as his 21 year old self did.
At first I didn't find the narrator/main character likeable. But he actually grew on me. It's funny because the story is told by the main character as an older man. And yet his narration seems to undergo the same character development as his younger self does within the story. In the beginning, I was rolling my eyes as the narrator talked about his ex, saying "I was too good for her" and then whining "why wasn't I good enough for her?". But by the end of the book, the narrator's voice seemed to have matured just as his 21 year old self did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Ableism
I tagged this book for ableism because there is some ableist language there that I want to give readers a heads up on. The word cr***le is used several times. It's mostly used by a villain in the last half of the book. And that's pretty much the extent of it. But I wanted to put that out there for anyone who may be triggered by the word. Most of the blood/murder talked about in this story is not in graphic detail. But I ended up listing the murder, blood, and body horror under "graphic" because of a scene in the last 30-ish pages of the book. I won't name names, but here's some more detail about it that could be seen as a spoiler:amandaquotidianbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
2022: I still really enjoyed this quiet, coming of age, nostalgia-heavy story that happens to involve a serial killer and ghosts. This time around, Dev seemed to know how to interact with a dying kid way too easily given his lack of experience. This also manifested in him “knowing better” than Mike’s own mother what he needed. The book really didn’t give Annie enough credit in that regard. I didn’t like how much weight Dev’s loss of virginity was given. However, the carnival summer vibes were amazing and I enjoyed most of the characterization. This is still my favorite King.
2018: This is definitely my favorite King so far. I loved the atmosphere of this so much! Apart from the ghosts and serial killer, this was a cozy and heartwarming read. The descriptions of Joyland reminded me a lot of The Night Circus, though Joyland is a much more realistic carnival experience by far. I enjoyed all of the characters and was invested in their stories. The ending also made me cry, which is always a good thing in my book. I really enjoyed this and so wish I could continue reading more Stephen King right now.
2018: This is definitely my favorite King so far. I loved the atmosphere of this so much! Apart from the ghosts and serial killer, this was a cozy and heartwarming read. The descriptions of Joyland reminded me a lot of The Night Circus, though Joyland is a much more realistic carnival experience by far. I enjoyed all of the characters and was invested in their stories. The ending also made me cry, which is always a good thing in my book. I really enjoyed this and so wish I could continue reading more Stephen King right now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Child death, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Murder and Religious bigotry
Minor: Rape
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